Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced that the province has established a Land Invasion Monitoring and Inspection Tool (LIMIT), which is an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to tackle illegal land invasion occupations amid increasing rates of squatting.
Lesufi announced this while reflecting on 100 days of the ANC-led Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), held at Gautrain Management Agency in Midrand on Wednesday.
Gauteng province is experiencing a large influx of people from various provinces and counties, who flood to townships and informal settlements and illegally claim and occupy the land, often selling or renting plots to others.
Some of the occupants use the land to build shacks and houses, while others start small businesses on the land they occupied illegally.
The issue of land invasion has surged, with it now happening in parts of Joburg, Randburg, Tshwane and other areas.
Addressing the media, Lesufi admitted that the province has been grappling with the increasing problem of illegal land invasions.
He said as a result of this influx, it has exacerbated the housing backlog and strained public resources, requiring urgent intervention.
Lesufi said the provincial government’s LIMIT, an AI-driven tool aims to tackle the problem of land invasion.
“LIMIT enables early detection of illegal activities, preventing invaders from establishing themselves,” Lesufi said.
He said LIMIN is a proactive, real-time system that uses technology to detect and respond to land invasions.
“It is the first of its kind in South Africa,” he said proudly.
Lesufi expressed strong belief that technology has a significant impact in addressing the crime of illegal land occupations.
“This tool reduces the time and resources needed to identify and respond to land invasions by sending early and targeted warnings.”
In addition, he said the tool provides accessible evidence that serves as solid proof for legal proceedings, and provides eviction orders and prosecutions.
“We will share this tool with all our municipalities to help them manage the land invasion challenges,” Lesufi said.
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